Accreditation and Accountability

Both state and federal law require schools to measure student achievement with test scores and other indicators to assign campus and district performance ratings. The following are resources related to state and federal performance indicators, standards, and sanctions.

Related Policies

Your local school board policy manual contains TASB's (LEGAL) reference policies and board-adopted (LOCAL) policies. Your district may also have relevant administrative regulations. For more information on accreditation and accountability, see your district policy manual at the following codes:

AIA

Accreditation and Performance Indicators

AIB

Performance Reporting

AIC

Investigations and Sanctions

AID

Federal Accountability Standards

TASB Resources

TASB Legal Services' FAQ Districts of Innovation describes the purpose and process required for a school district to adopt an innovation plan.

TASB Legal Services' article Update on ESSA describes some of the most important changes the Every Student Succeeds Act makes to federal education accountability and how this might affect school districts in Texas.

TASB Legal Services’ Every Student Succeeds Act Bill Summary For School Officials, available for sale in the TASB store, describes key ESSA provisions that significantly impact school districts in Texas, including statewide and district level accountability systems, improvement plans, and changes to federal assessment requirements.

Other Resources

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) Website provides information about the process for assigning an accreditation status to a district and permits visitors to search district accreditation statuses assigned annually since the 2007-08 school year.

The TEA Alternative Education Accountability Archives Website includes information about the accountability procedures under which alternative education campuses that serve at-risk students may choose to be evaluated and reports from 2004-2012.

The TEA Performance Reporting Division evaluates public schools and districts and provides answers to frequently asked questions, presentations, letters, and other resources in the areas of accountability and data reporting.

The TEA Performance-Based Monitoring Website provides information about the Performance-Based Monitoring Analysis System (PBMAS), which reports annually on district and charter school performance in certain areas such as bilingual education, career and technology education, and special education, as well as information about the related data validation indicators.

The U.S. Department of Education Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Website provides news and resources on that act that reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

The TEA’s Accountability Research Unit researches and reports on educational policy and progress in areas such as dropouts, academic performance, and student discipline.

The TEA Blue Ribbon Schools Website describes the state nomination process for the federal program honoring schools that either are academically superior or have shown significant improvement in student achievement.